fool." "Oh! yes; it's all very fine, but the band at Alexandria 'ill no play at the station yet: the Vale canna' win noo," said he, as the Queen's team put the ball through a second time. A well dressed young fellow on the stand near the press table was very funny, and if ever a man enjoyed the game it was he. In the exuberance of his joy at the Q.P. scoring, he danced on the little spot allotted to him on the stand, and in doing so nearly overbalanced himself. "Ye'll be the better o' a half yin after that narrow escape," said one of his friends, handing him a bottle. After he had swallowed a fair amount of the liquor he stole a hasty glance at the bottle, and found to his disgust he had been drinking "The Vale of Leven blend." "It's a' richt," said his country friend, "ye'll maybe need it a' yet; the Vale are not beaten the noo; the Queen's man tak' anither goal before that occurs," and so they did. "Oh! a' say," remarked a born East-Ender, for whom we are perfectly certain the Clyde and Thistle, according to his self-importance at any rate, had played their best on Barrowfield and Beechwood, "look at that; it's no' fair to gie the Vale a free kick for that; it's the auld way; gie't ta the yin that mak's the maist noise." "Yes," said another, who looked every inch a dyer from the celebrated football county of Dumbarton, and maybe the Vale of Leven district itself, "did ever ye see the likes o' that, and frae sic a swell club, tae?" as Robertson bowled over Bruce on the grass, and cleared the ball away. Wilson, the Vale of Leven goalkeeper, came in for a fair share of praise; and so did Arnott, Smellie, Sellar, Gulliland, and Gillespie for their brilliant play, but many were in ecstacy about young Wilson. "His mither 'ill be a proud woman the day when she kens how well he kept goal for the Vale; there's nae doubt about it, Wilson's the coming man between the sticks for the International on Hampden Park on 5th April next," said a red-faced man, wearing a glengarry. Old and respected members of both clubs were again present to cheer on their successors to victory, and we observed several original members of the once-famous Clydesdale, including two who took part in the first final tie for the cup on old Hampden Park. Several old Rangers were present, too, who remembered well the series of exciting matches played by them against the Vale of Leven, when no fewer than three hard battles had to be fought before the destiny of the cup was settled for the year. The sad news, too, was announced in the papers of the sudden death of another famous forward (Mr. J. R. Wilson), who took part in the first final tie between the Queen's Park and Clydesdale on behalf of the latter club. Many of the "Old Brigade" viewed the contest with mixed feelings. "You seem excited, Bob," said a friend to an old Q.P., and no wonder; time is fleeting fast; the game will be done in a quarter of an hour, and, dear me, the Queen's have not even scored. "Not